| Lipid preferences based on taste were examined in the animal diet of the Black-capped Chickadee (Parus atricapillus). Fifteen individual birds were mist-netted in Washtenaw County, Michigan, and then tested for lipid preferences using commercial corn oil, olive oil, and sunflower oil. Common yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) were drowned in oil, then presented to individual birds on petri dishes in a pair-wise comparison study. Plain mealworms and mealworms drowned in water were presented as controls. Preference was determined based upon which petri dish was emptied first. Chickadees, collectively, showed no significant preference/aversion for any of the oils. However, individually, significant oil preferences were noted. Overall, the preference for plain mealworms was significant. |
